


Not As Planned

by summerbutterfly



Series: If You SeiSou [8]
Category: Free!
Genre: Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Heterosexuality, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 08:11:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6230836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerbutterfly/pseuds/summerbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which nothing goes as planned...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not As Planned

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this took way, way too long. But it's here! And I finished something! Thank you to my beta and for the fandom encouragement I've received through kudos and comments. There will be one more part after this and I promise I will do my best not to leave readers hanging too long before I get to it.
> 
> Any typos are mine, and I own them whole-heartedly.

Rin's swimsuit ad made it onto a subway billboard in Ikebukuro. And just as fast, Rin and his teammates went from mildly interesting athletes to national idols. Throngs of people started showing up outside the train station in Iwatobi when he came home, just to get a glimpse, and picking him up turned into an all-morning affair. Rin tried to take it in stride. He knew that, to Iwatobi, he was something of a hometown hero, but to much of the rest of the country, he was just a pert butt and a nice set of abs. It bothered him more than he would ever admit, and Sousuke wasn't all that surprised when he started staying more frequently at their apartment in order to keep his mom and Gou from getting dragged into the mayhem.

"It will die down eventually," he said over one of many post-billboard breakfasts. "Some _real_ celebrity will do something soon to attract attention and they'll all leave me alone."

"Some 'real celebrity' better start hitting the gym," Seijuurou said. "At least if he or she wants to get your muscle definition." 

"You do have ridiculously good abs, Rin." Sousuke chewed on a spoonful of oddly-shaped, technicolor, sugary American cereal. "I kind of hate you for them, but then again, I'm the one who has stopped working out everyday."

"Whatever," Rin said. "Like anyone can tell you haven't been working out."

"I can," Sousuke said. "I jiggle." 

"Aww, but I like your Pookie Pudge." Seijuurou joined them at the kitchen table with two bowls of steamed rice, some fish, and a plate of pickles. "It's so cute! Especially the little bits around your tushie."

"Sei..."

"What? I like the rest of you, too, I just like the squishy tush the best. It's all dimply!"

"Maybe I should get some jiggle," Rin said, taking his rice. "Maybe then I'll stop getting creepy love letters and 'accidental' gropes on the subway."

"Doubtful." Sousuke munched some more cereal. "Even pudgy you'd still be handsome. You're pretty striking, Rin." 

"In Australia, no one even knew I was alive."

"Because Australians have poor taste. Japanese have a much better eye for aesthetics. It's a proven fact."

Rin sighed. 

Seijuurou rubbed his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll protect you from any creepy gropers while you're here. Right, Sousuke?" 

Rin looked at Sousuke, and Sousuke chuckled at the memory of scaring off two paparazzo the day before. They had tried to lurk around Samezuka while Rin was practicing as the school had been kind enough to give Rin private training time at no cost when he was in town, but Sousuke stepped in before they could get on school grounds, dragging the two men off by their camera straps and locking them in a public toilet. 

"We definitely will," Sousuke promised. "Though again, more reasons to be a little more responsible about working out."

"I told you, you look fine," Rin said. "I wouldn't have even known about your...pudge if you hadn't said anything."

"It's so cute," Seijuurou said. "Seriously. I can't even tell you how hot it is when we..."

"Sei," Sousuke said. "That's enough." 

*~*~*~*~*

They both went with Rin to Samezuka that afternoon, for protection as well as for their own benefit. Seijuurou still liked to workout, both in the pool and the gym, and Sousuke, confronted now with the reality of Rin's physique, decided he'd had more than enough of his new bubble butt and was going to do something about it.

"I dunno, Sousuke. Maybe Mikoshiba's on to something. It _is_ pretty cute."

" _Nothing_ about this is cute," Sousuke growled. He grabbed a round cheek in each hand and turned sideways to the mirror. "It almost too big to fit in my suit. That is not okay." 

"Hey, you're going to do whatever it is you want to do, I'm just saying it's not nearly as bad as you think it is. You look good with a butt. Also, if Mikoshiba likes it, isn't it worth keeping?"

"Rin, if I kept everything around that Seijuurou liked, there'd be no room left for me in the apartment." Rin tittered at the joke as Sousuke tucked his goggle strap into his waistband. "That man has some weird attachments. And fetishes."

"You mean like his roleplay kink?" Rin shut the door to his locker and gave Sousuke a diabolical grin. "I heard everything he said to you that night, _Nurse_ Yamazaki. Including that whole filthy monologue about how he'd never seen such a big thermometer."

"Wait...you heard that?"

"Every word."

Sousuke groaned. 

"Whoa, hey. I didn't say it was a bad thing." Rin tucked his hair up under his cap. "I think it's great you guys are that into each other. However, if you do eventually put on on a nurse's outfit..." Rin licked his lips in an over-exaggeratedly lewd manor. "...I want pictures. To get me through those long, lonely Tokyo nights." 

Sousuke's felt his face catch fire. " _Rin_!" he wailed, and Rin burst out laughing, loud enough to bring a completely undressed Seijuurou Mikoshiba peeking around the corner.

"Matsuoka, are you hitting on my boyfriend?" For some reason, Seijuurou's swim suit was in his hand and not on his person.

"A little." Rin, seemingly less phased by locker room nudity than he was by hotel room nudity, nodded toward Seijuurou's body. "You swimming like that?"

"I'm not swimming at all," Seijuurou replied. "Unless one of you has an extra suit I can borrow."

He held up the briefs in his hand, revealing the tear along the back seam--the bane of swimmer existence. 

"I've got one," Sousuke said. "It's a little worn, but it should be all right."

"Thanks, babe." Seijuurou sauntered over. "And Matsuoka, we really need to stop meeting like this."

"You could try wearing clothes," Rin suggested. "You freaky nudist."

"Or, _you_ could try just admitting I look better without them," Seijuurou tossed back. "Pookie has." 

" _Pookie_ is supposed to like you better naked. You're dating." 

"True. But I'm always up for additional admiration." Seijuurou took the extra suit from Sousuke's hand. "But since you insist I get dressed..."

"I do." Rin flicked Seijuurou in the forehead as he walked by. "I don't need your junk flailing around when I'm trying to get a practice in. Now, hurry up. I'll meet you guys out there."

"Yes dear," Seijuurou teased.

*~*~*~*~*

Rin's workout went well. Sousuke knew this because he spent more time watching Rin than he did actually swimming. And while he watched, he thought about how Rin had admitted to flirting 'a little' with his boyfriend. And how he could be hypothetically distracted by Seijuurou's 'flailing junk' in the event that Sei had truly decided to swim naked. Neither was a particularly noteworthy, but his conversation with Seijuurou in their hotel room in Beijing had stuck with him. And it bothered him somewhat that Seijuurou and Rin seemed to able to handle their personal feelings toward each other far better than Sousuke could handle his towards either of them. 

"Hey." A kick to his shins brought his attention back to the present. "I said I'm finished. Are you just going to float there, or are you coming to get dressed?"

"Oh. Sorry." Sousuke hadn't noticed Rin swimming up to him. "I'm coming. Is Sei out?"

"Yes, he's terrorizing the locker room as we speak. Can't you hear him?"

Sousuke picked up his chin from his arms. Sure enough, with his attention focused, he could hear the vibrant notes of Seijuurou's off-key singing as he showered and dressed.

"I see his Impromptu Concert Habit hasn't changed," Rin said. 

Sousuke laughed. "No. But usually, he's quieter. He must be in a particularly good mood."

"Well, unlike you, he actually _did_ a workout." Rin gave him a pointed look. "You're shoulder's not bothering you, is it?"

"No. It's fine."

"But something is bothering you."

Sousuke looked away.

Rin gave him another shin kick. "Hey, don't ignore me. It's not the endorsement, is it?"

"What? No!" Sousuke looked back. "Why would I be mad at you for something like that?"

"I don't know. I just know that you're mad at me. I can tell."

"I am not."

"You are, though." Rin looked down at his own folded hands. "You've been acting off ever since you came to see me in Beijing and I don't...I don't want this to be a repeat of the Sex with Mikoshiba incident. So whatever it is, just tell me." 

"I way over-reacted with that," Sousuke admitted. "So even if I was mad, this wouldn't be anything like the Sex with Sei incident."

"I really want to believe you..."

"Then believe me."

Rin stared at him, silent. 

Sousuke sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe...maybe the endorsement thing threw me, but not for the reasons you think. Honestly, I'm 'off' because I hate the idea of you getting your own place."

"Why?"

"Because I just don't want you to." Sousuke's fingers dug into the hard plastic of the lane line. "I see you little enough as it is, and both Sei and I really enjoy having you around when you are here. You're not in the way. Nothing could be further from the truth. You're family, Rin. What's mine...is yours. And it always will be." 

The corners of Rin's mouth turned up. "You know, I could take that to mean something very different if I were the type of guy to do such a thing."

Sousuke grunted. "If you mean the type of guy who's good at being a tease, I'd say you're already pretty accomplished in that department."

"Hey!"

"Hey nothing. You started it." Sousuke pushed himself away from the lane line and grabbed the side. "Anyway, let's get going. I'm getting pruney."

"So that's it? That's our whole talk?"

Sousuke paused, halfway out of the pool. "What more do you want me to say?" he asked.

"I dunno. Give me some reassurance here that we aren't breaking up!"

"Do best friends break up?" Sousuke got his feet on the deck and turned around to offer his hand to Rin. "Is that a thing?"

"Makoto and Haru broke up," Rin said. 

"That's because Haru doesn't like to share." Sousuke locked his fingers around Rin's wrist and pulled him out. "Also, we're not Makoto and Haru. Though speaking of Haru..."

"Mmm?"

"You never...y'know..." Sousuke shifted. "You never...with him...did you?"

"Are you asking if I slept with Haru?" Rin's feet planted themselves on the deck. "No. Haru's straight."

"Haru's straight?" 

"Um, yeah? I mean, I know it seems like he was strictly Makoto-sexual for most of his life, but he and Gou's friend Chigusa actually spent a lot of time together before he left for Tokyo. A _lot_ of time. Alone." 

"How do you..."

"Haru lives by himself, and she was over there almost every day once our season ended. Do the math, Sousuke."

"Oh." Sousuke pressed his palms to his eyes. "Oh...my god. I think I'm traumatized. Haruka _Nanase_?"

"Yep," Rin confirmed. "But it's okay. I'm sure by the time you wake up tomorrow morning, Seijuurou will have successfully exorcised any visions of Haru's intimate relationship from your head." 

Sousuke raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say Seijuurou?"

"Yes," Rin said. "Seijuurou. You're boyfriend. Surely you remember him..." 

"Oh, I remember. I've just never heard you call him anything but Mikoshiba before."

"Oh." Rin's cheeks flushed. "I didn't...you must be rubbing off on me or something. I meant Mikoshiba."

"Rin, please. How long have you known each other? It's more than fine that you call him Seijuurou. He hasn't been your captain in almost two years."

"He's still my senior."

"Your senior that you slept with."

Rin's cheeks flamed. " _Would you stop bringing that up?_ " he hissed. "It's in the past!" 

"What's in the past?" Seijuurou asked. He appeared as the entered the changing rooms, toweling his hair, wearing a pair of shorts, and Sousuke actually found that he was slightly disappointed that he was so covered up. 

"Rin's steamy nights with his sexy lovers," Sousuke said. "Which apparently do not include Nanase."

"All the people I've ever had sex with are currently standing in this room," Rin said. "Surprising, I know, but notice the population does not include Haru." 

"Don't see why not," Seijuuro said. "Nanase's hot."

" _Hey,_ " Sousuke growled, and Rin actually backed up a step, not wanting to be in the way if things turned ugly.

"What? He is. He's not you, Pookie, but he is pretty easy on the eyes."

"Seriously?"

"Of course." 

Sousuke turned his back. "Whatever," he muttered, opening his locker and pulling out his bag. "Think what you want." 

Seijuurou gave an exaggerated sigh. "You're going to snap at me just because I think Nanase is hot?"

"It's a bit unnecessary to tell me that, don't you think?"

"No more than you refusing to admit you still love Matsuoka." 

Sousuke paused. 

Rin backed up again.

"Um, you know what? I think I'm going to shower." Rin looked back and forth between the two men. "You guys work this out and I'll be right back, and..."

"No. Stay." Sousuke's voice was cold. "There's nothing to work out. Sei's just being a dick. And now he's going to stop." 

"Actually, I'm trying to get Pookie to confess to you but it doesn't seem to be working."

"Confess?" Rin looked confused. "Confess what?"

"That he wants you. It's eating him alive, and he needs to just say as much." 

"Sei, stop it. I love _you_. I've told you that over and over!"

"I know that, but I also know you can love more than one person at a time. And I think I've told _you_ over and over that I'm fine with it."

"I'm not leaving you for Rin!"

"Exactly. That's why I'm saying confess you like him so we can move on to the next step." 

Realization hit Rin faster than it did Sousuke. "Are you...implying...that we..."

Seijuurou nodded. "I mean, it only makes sense. Pookie would never choose, but why should he have to?"

"I..." Rin opened his mouth. Closed it. Ran his fingers through his hair. 

Meanwhile, the implication of Seijuurou's words had reached Sousuke as well. "Oh my god," Sousuke whispered. "Sei, you can't..."

"Think you need two boyfriends?" Seijuurou shrugged. "To be honest, I do. Especially if the other one is Matsuoka. So what do you say?"

Sousuke found he couldn't say anything at all.


End file.
